Thursday, February 25, 2010

4:15 PM

The Assembly voted 51-42 to approve legislation that could require schools to drop race-based nicknames, logos or mascots if a district resident complained to the state.

Republicans objected Tuesday to a final vote on the bill, forcing today's vote. They also objected to messaging the bill to the Senate to delay further action as GOP members complained over what they said was the oversensitivity of some and allowing a state bureacrat to weigh in on a local issue over a school’s mascot.

Rep. Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha, said he is a member of the Red Cliff Chippewa Indians and questioned why mascots were creating such a furor, adding Methodists don't raise objections to Wake Forest’s mascot the Demon Deacons.

"Aren't there bigger issues for the Native Americans to worry about?" Kramer said.

Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, mocked the idea that just one person being offended would be enough to nix a district's mascot as a ridiculously low standard. He said he was sure at least someone in the room was offended at his tie.

That drew a sharp rebuke from Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee.

"Are you seriously going to compare a tie, being offended by a tie to a name or to a title or to a word that may carry years of oppression or years of genocide? Are you seriously going to do that?" Grigsby said.